Fluid actuated press



Oct. 26, 1965 A. E. ZINGONE FLUID AGTUAIED PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 9, 1963 INVENTQR Zl/VGONfi ATTORNEYS Oct. 26, 1965 A. E. ZINGONEFLUID ACTUATED PRESS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 4 55 ATTORNEYS Filed Sept. 9,1965 United States Patent 3,213,739 FLUID ACTUATED PRESS Anthony E.Zingone, Massapequa, N.Y., assignor to Neo- Ray Products, Inc., NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 9, 1963, Ser. No.307,648 4 Claims. (Cl. 83563) This invention relates to industrialpresses operative by means of a fluid either liquid or gas.

One object of the invention is to provide a fluid actuated press the diesupporting members of which will be under uniform stress in work loadposition regardless of the number, location or character of the dieelements thus effectively minimizing any distortion, flexing or evenpossible rupture of these members. In general this is achieved by amechanical feature of design which serves to insure uniform distributionunder high fluid pressures of the load across the entire area of themembers under stress conditions even though actual work is beingperformed at only one or two points on their operating surface.

One of the principal die support members, according to the invention, isa platen which is formed into two parts, one part being fixed to thebase of the press and the second part being displaceable in thedirection of the work. Fluid pressure is provided by a chamber formedinternally of the platen or as a flexible joint on its periphery. Themovable platen member is provided with internal limit stops disposed inslots located at frequent intervals within the platen which effectivelyeliminates the need for the usual platen reinforcement to preventflexing and distortion under high stress.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent on readingthe following specification which is taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the press and die setup table withcertain parts broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a plan section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section on enlarged scale taken on line 3-3 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal section on enlarged scale taken on line 44 ofFIGURE 2 showing a detail of the fixed and movable platens;

FIGURE 5 is a section similar to FIGURE 4 With the movable platen inoperative position;

FIGURE 6 is a section showing a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, it is seen that the press has a base 10having vertical ears 12 at each corner and a top frame member 14 alsohaving corner ears 16. Posts 18 are disposed in upper and lowercomplementary ears and are screw threaded to receive clearanceadjusting, hexagonal nuts 20 above and below each car. It may be seenthat the nuts 20 on being vertically positioned by turning on the postswill cause the base and frame member to separate or draw closer to eachother thus providing greater or lesser clearance between these membersand certain fixed elements below described which are disposedtherebetween.

As shown in FIGURE 4 a lower or fixed platen 21 is supported atop thebase 10 being immediately carried on a base plate 22 which by means ofbolts 25 extending therethrough and clamps 26a partially overlyinglateral extensions of the platen 21 serves to fixedly retain the latteron the base. Movable platen 24 is disposed on top the lower platen withthe sides flush. Each platen is provided with communicating T slots 26in which there are disposed alternate tension springs 28 and platenguide and stop bars 30. The T slots extend from side to side as shown inFIGURE 3 and communicate with peripheral ice air chamber 34 fabricatedof flexible sheet steel or the like. The air chamber is semi-circular incross section with one side thereof connected by screw attachment tolateral extensions on the movable platen 24 and its other side similarlyconnected to the lateral extensions on the lower platen. Seals S areprovided between the platen extensions and the chamber which are madesomewhat tighter, as it may be appreciated, as the chamber is outwardlyflexed on separation of the two platen halves.

The lower platen 21 is provided preferably with an air passage 36 atfour points proximate two opposing sides, see FIGURE 2, such passagescommunicating with the flexible air chamber 34 and a source of constantfluid pressure by vertical tubes 38, transverse pipes 40, a central,longitudinal pipe 42 and a pipe 44 controlled by a valve 45.

A die carriage 46 having transverse T slots 48 formed therein isnormally fully supported by wheels 50 which are adapted to run on tracks52 carried by the base plate 22. The wheels 50 are supported at the endof pivot arms 54 which are pivotally connected to verticallydisplaceable links carried by the die carriage 46 and adjustable stops55 which limit the upward movement of the arms 54.

The tracks 52 extend the length of the base 10 and also that of table 56which is used to support the die carriage when the dies are beingpositioned thereon during set up. To this end there is provided acarriage screw 58 which is axially turned by motor M through drive chain60. The screw 58 is supported centrally underneath the carriage by abearing block 62 mounted at one end of the table 56 and in the threadedaperture of a member 64 depending from one end of the carriage 46.

The dies may be of any conventional type and, as shown, comprises ahorizontal U shaped member having flexible arms carrying at their freeend upper and lower dies 66 and 68, respectively. Secured to the lowerarm is a pair of screws 69 the heads of which are adapted to be disposedin any one of the T slots 68 in the carriage 46 for longitudinalpositioning of the dies and to slide within the slots for transversepositioning for a lateral set up. As mentioned above, the positioning ofthe die elements is effected as desired when the die carriage has beenmoved out on the table 56 for set up.

In operation a sheet metal work piece W is placed between the dieelements and supported on the upstanding elements 70 on the carriage.When the fluid is admitted to the chamber 34 and thence to thetransverse T slots formed internally of the platens, the latter separateas the chamber itself is flexed until the stop bars 30 strike the bottomand top, respectively of their longitudinally formed slots, see FIGURE5, at which point the carriage 46 has been raised so as to depress theupper die element 66 so as to punch, for example, a selectively designedand located cut out in the work piece W. When the fluid pressure isturned off the internal springs 28 assist in re turning the upper platento its normal position. However, when liquid is the actuating fluid, theplaten may be returned to its original position by evacuation with apump to eliminate thereby the necessity of springs.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 6, fluid is introduced directly intointernal passage 70 within the lower, fixed platen 21a from a source notshown. An annular fluid chamber 71 in the displaceable upper platen 24areceives the fluid from the passage 70. In this version, there isprovided a plurality of bores 72 in each of which there is disposed ashoulder bolt 74 having on one end a metal stop washer 75 which onupward movement of the platen 24a strikes shoulder S formed in the bore72. Preferably a compression spring 76 is provided in each slotextending between the washer and the bottom of the slot to assist thereturn of the platen to the position shown in FIGURE 6. The other end ofthe bolt extends through a central aperture in the bottom of each bore,there being a threaded extension member 78 depending from the bolt whichis screwed into the fixed platen 21a to insure relative movement betweenthe bolt and the platen 24a when the latter is displaced. At the top ofeach slot is a screw plug 80 which rests on spacer head 82 of the boltwhich retains the metal washer 74 in each slot to provide a slightspacing between the platen members 21a and 24a in their closed or normalposition.

Proximate the periphery of the platen is formed a pair of complementaryannular grooves within which are disposed spaced apart and annular metalshields 84 and 86. In this space between the shields is disposed anelastic material 88, such as rubber neoprene or teflon which is subjectto a natural elongation greater than maximum displacement of platen 24aserving as thus confined in the annular slot as an elfective pressureseal for the fluid.

In either embodiment of the invention as herein above described, it isimportant to note that the internal limit stops are located at frequentintervals within the platen members, the number depending on platenthickness and maximum pressure, to eliminate reinforcement of themembers which would otherwise be necessary to prevent their flexing andpossibly permanent distortion.

Other modifications of the invention may be efiected by persons skilledin the art without departing from the scope and principle of inventionas defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fluid actuated press a lower fixed member, a moveable memberoverlying said fixed member, there being provided internal slots in saidmembers, said slots being shouldered, stop elements disposed in saidslots adapted to bear on the shouldered portions of said slots and aflexible fluid chamber communicating with said slots, one part of saidchamber being secured to said fixed member and another part beingsecured to said moveable member.

2. In a fluid actuated press as defined in claim 1, member returnsprings disposed in said slots.

3. A fluid actuated press a lower fixed member, a moveable memberoverlying said fixed member, there being provided internal slots in saidmembers, said slots being shouldered, stop elements disposed in saidslots adapted to bear on the shouldered portions of said slots and aflexible fluid chamber communicating with said slots, one part of saidchamber being secured to said fixed member and another part beingsecured to said moveable member, a die carriage supported on saidmoveable member, an upper frame member supported over said carriage, adie removably secured to said carriage and having an upper die elementarm adapted to strike said frame member as the press is opened.

4. A fluid actuated press as defined in claim 3 wherein said carriage isT slotted with a lower die element arm of said die disposed in aselected pair of T slots in said carriage for transverse positioningtherein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,363,779 11/44Dufly 269 2,717,421 9/55 Beeson 100269 2,869,173 1/59 Van Hartesveldt100269 2,997,083 8/61 Pfefer 100269 3,111,100 11/63 Georgeff 1002993,134,350 5/64 Danly 100299 FOREIGN PATENTS 467,952 6/37 Great Britain.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Examiner.

1. IN A FLUID ACTUATED PRESS A LOWER FIXED MEMBER, A MOVEABLE MEMBEROVERLYING SAID FIXED MEMBER, THERE BEING PROVIDED INTERNAL SLOTS IN SAIDMEMBERS, SAID SLOTS BEING SHOULDERED, STOP ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN SAIDSLOTS ADAPTED TO BEAR ON THE SHOULDERED PORTIONS OF SAID SLOTS ANDFLEXIBLE FLUID CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID